Marine Semester Projects
Each Marine semester, BUMP students complete full research projects for each of the courses they complete. Below are a listing of the projects completed. This projects only represent a small fraction of the possiblities a student can develop during the Marine Semester. Some students have taken the research project completed below and expanded it further to be published.
Quick Links
Fall 2008 Marine Semester:
BI 532, Field Biology of Belize Coral Reefs: Expeditionary Ichthyology | BI 563, Sensory Biology
BI/GE 578, Marine Geography Information Science | ES 543, Estuaries and Nearshore Systems
ES 546, Tropical Oceanography of the Caribbean Sea: Appilcations and Research
Fall 2007 Marine Semester:
BI 532, Field Biology of Belize Coral Reefs: Expeditionary Ichthyology | BI 563, Sensory Biology
BI/GE 578, Marine Geography Information Science
Fall 2008 Marine Semester
BI 532, Field Biology of Belize Coral Reefs: Expeditionary Ichthology
Sleeping habits of Scarids: mucous cocooning and site fidelity
Cobrt-Tac, exploring the capabilities and limitations of a bottom mounted ADCP for classifying bottom habitat
The use of cnidarians and echinoids by reef fishes for defense
Quantifying coral and algae cover and unhealthy coral abundance on Wee Wee Caye, Belize
Grazing intensity on Thalassia testudinum and feeding behavior differences in juvenile and adult Sparisoma radians
Survey of the incidence of fish disease around Wee Wee Caye
The use of Cyphoma gibbosum to determine the presence of eupalmerin acetate in octocoral
Movement of the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis, around Wee Wee Caye, Belize
Comparison of Lutjanus species distributions according to habitat variation in Belize
BI 563, Sensory Biology
The Ability of Juvenile Clownfish to Recognize their own School (3 students)
The Dominant Sensory Mechanism in the Foraging Behavior of Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) (4 students)
Siphon Snipping Reduces Ability to Reach and Odor Source and Utilized Chemotaxis in the Eastern Mud Snail, Ilyanassa obsoletus (2 students)
Visual Prey Recognition in Asterias forbesii (2 students)
Breaking the Pair Bond: Assessing the stability of the breeding pair in Amphiprion ocellaris (2 students)
BI/GE 578 Marine Geographic Information Science
The Effects of Temperature and Bathymetry on Species Diversity off the Coast of Massachusetts
Quantifying Relative Threats to Belize Watersheds the through Spatial Analysis of Human Impacts
An Analysis of Whale Watch Boat Speed and Subsequent Guideline Compliance within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
The distribution of humpback whales relative to sand lance habitat in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
The Impact of Hotel Development and Cruise Line Industry Pollution on the Coral Reef Ecosystems in Belize
Spatial Analysis of Phytoplankton Blooms in Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary (2 Students)
Spatial Analysis of Anthropogenic Threats on the Coral Reefs and Marine Protected Areas of Belize (2 students).
Annual Fluctuations of Megafaunal Species Distribution in the Bay of Fundy According to Prey Density During the Summers of 2003-2006
Factors Affecting Phytoplankton Abundance in and Around the Bay of Fundy from 2003-2005 and Predicting Chlorophyll Concentrations in 2006.
Cetacean Distributions in the Bay of Fundy based on Various Physical Features
Effects of tidal fluctuations on harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population distributions near Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy
ES 543, Estuaries and Nearshore Systems
Dune topography and vegetation gradients on Crane Beach, Massachusetts
The Effects of Nutrient Enrichment on Erosion of Salt Marsh Creek Beds
A Survey of Topography and Wave Patterns along a Marsh Shoreline in Plum Island Sound, MA
ES 546, Tropical Oceanography of the Caribbean Sea
The relationship between bioluminescence potential, zooplankton biomass, and chlorophyll-a fluorescence in the Caribbean Sea. (joint project with 3 students).
The relative abundance of diatoms and dinoflagellates in the surface water and the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) of the Caribbean Sea. (4 students).
Modelling zooplankton density distributions with physical and biological parameters in the Caribbean Basin. (1 student).
Colored dissolved organic matter: Spectral absorbance and fluorescence patterns of waters in the Caribbean Sea. (3 students).
Ocean mixed layer depth in the Caribbean Sea: Measurement and comparison with an analytical model. (1 student).
The effect of sea surface properties on Halobates micans population composition and distribution in the Caribbean Sea. (2 students).
Spatial variation of pH and alkalinity across the Caribbean Sea and its relationship to pteropods and gelatinous organisms. (4 students).
Vertical distribution of DIC along with salinity and apparent oxygen utilization in the Caribbean Sea. (1 student).
Foraminifera species distribution distribution near Pedro Bank and preservation in the sedimentary record. (3 students).
Fall 2007 Marine Semester
BI 532, Field Biology of Belize Coral Reefs: Expeditionary Ichthyology
Parrotfish foraging behavioral study
Cocoa damselfish behavioral study
Individual identification of yellow stingrays by external markings
Study of yellow stingray diel movements and habitat range using acoustic tracking
Mapping the location and abundance of coral disease using GIS
Population density of stonefish around Wee Wee Caye
Behavior of juvenile schoolmaster in mangrove nursery habitat
Algal communities relative to proximity to outhouses on Wee Wee Caye
Comprehensive fish transect survey around Wee Wee Caye
Patch reef species diversity
Goatfish and wrasse cooperative foraging
Remora selectivity
Are damselfish herbivores or omnivores? A stable isotope study
BI 563, Sensory Biology
Finding Nemo Not Easy: Female Amphiprion ocellaris do not recognize their partners visually or chemically (2 students)
Olfactory discimintation for greater nutritional value in the diet of green crabs, Carcinus maenas (2 students)
Flow Rate Threshold and Preference of Banggai Cardinal Fish (Pterapogon kauderni) (2 students)
Social Recognition in the Sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus, by visual and chemical cues (2 students)
Prey pursuit and detection in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi (2 students)
Nematostella vectensis Reacts Directionally to Chemical Stimulus in Their Environment and May Use This to Capture Prey (2 students)
BI/GE, Marine Geography Information Science
Effects of Water Pollution from Watershed Runoff on Coral Disease Frequency
Seasonal movement patterns and environment preference of satellite-monitored Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus)
Reef proximity to riverine sediment sources and coral disease on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Belize
Physically Convergent Zones as Biological Hotspots in the Gulf of Maine
The Effect of the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area on Groundfish Abundance
